Current location in this text. Enter a Perseus citation to go to another section or work. Full search
options are on the right side and top of the page.

Again, Phoebe came to the desired embrace of Coeus.
[405]
Then the goddess through the love of the god conceived and brought forth dark-gowned Leto, always mild, kind to men and to the deathless gods, mild from the beginning, gentlest in all Olympus. Also she bore Asteria of happy name, whom Perses once
[410]
led to his great house to be called his dear wife. And she conceived and bore Hecate whom Zeus the son of Cronos honored above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honor also in starry heaven,
[415]
and is honored exceedingly by the deathless gods. For to this day, whenever any one of men on earth offers rich sacrifices and prays for favor according to custom, he calls upon Hecate. Great honor comes full easily to him whose prayers the goddess receives favorably,
[420]
and she bestows wealth upon him; for the power surely is with her. For as many as were born of Earth and Ocean amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Cronos did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods:
[425]
but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning,
[427]
privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea.
[426]
Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honor,
[428]
but much more still, for Zeus honors her. Whom she will she greatly aids and advances:
[434]
she sits by worshipful kings in judgement,
[430]
and in the assembly whom she will is distinguished among the people. And when men arm themselves for the battle that destroys men,
[433]
then the goddess is at hand to give victory and grant glory readily to whom she will.
[435]
Good is she also when men contend at the games, for there too the goddess is with them and profits them: and he who by might and strength gets the victory wins the rich prize easily with joy, and brings glory to his parents. And she is good to stand by horsemen, whom she will:
[440]
and to those whose business is in the grey discomfortable sea, and who pray to Hecate and the loud-crashing Earth-Shaker, easily the glorious goddess gives great catch, and easily she takes it away as soon as seen, if so she will. She is good in the byre with Hermes to increase the stock.
[445]
The droves of kine and wide herds of goats and flocks of fleecy sheep, if she will, she increases from a few, or makes many to be less. So, then, albeit her mother's only child,1she is honored amongst all the deathless gods.
[450]
And the son of Cronos made her a nurse of the young who after that day saw with their eyes the light of all-seeing Dawn. So from the beginning she is a nurse of the young, and these are her honors.

1 Van Lennep explains that Hecate, having no brothers to support her claim, might have been slighted.

Hesiod. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Theogony. Cambridge, MA.,Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1914.

The Annenberg CPB/Project provided support for entering this text.

Purchase a copy of this text (not necessarily the same edition) from
Amazon.com

An XML version of this text is available for download,
with the additional restriction that you offer Perseus any modifications you make. Perseus provides credit for all accepted
changes, storing new additions in a versioning system.